There are two basic categories of panelboards – lighting and appliance panelboards and power panelboards. Lighting and appliance panelboards serve as distribution points for branch circuits, such as circuits that serve lighting, receptacles, appliances . (d) All electrical materials, devices, appliances, fittings and other equipment shall be listed or labeled by a nationally recognized testing agency and shall be connected in an approved manner when in service. Power Distribution Equipment is a term generally used to describe any apparatus used for the generation, transmission, distribution, or control of electrical energy. This section concentrates upon commonly used power distribution equipment: Panelboards, Switchboards, Low-Voltage Motor Control. For permanently connected appliances rated over 300 volt-amperes, the branch-circuit switch or circuit breaker shall be permitted to serve as the disconnecting means where the switch or circuit breaker is within sight from the appliance or be capable of being locked in the open position in. A distribution box, also known as a distribution panel or board, is a cabinet that holds electrical parts used to supply power to multiple circuits within a system. It acts as the central point where electricity distribution is managed inside a building. The box usually contains switches, fuses, or. The Lighting and Appliance Branch Circuit Panelboard The first step in properly applying the panelboard rules in the 2005 and prior editions of NEC 408 is to understand the branch circuit loads that will be fed from the panel.